Implosion (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 18 Jan 2026 @ 9:12pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant JG Serran & Lieutenant JG Sofie Ullswater & Lieutenant JG Nusien & Ensign Amanda Turell & Kivirn

2,756 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 21 - Helix
Location: Enus Station - Various Levels
Timeline: MD 07, 1440 hrs

Previously, on Implosion (Part 2)...

While his right hand tended to the first patient, his central hand tended to the second. The next patient was a woman she lay prone and when Nusien rolled her over there was nothing that can be done. She was dead on arrival. He closed her eyes and draped a nearby lab coat over her torso which had been torn open as her organs oozed out. "She's dead Commander."

And Now, the Conclusion...

[ON]

His third arm began to tend to the third and final patient. However, he could not get a full assesment as this person was trapped under debris. "Commander I can use a hand here. We are going to have to get this person free."

"I'm here," Allyndra pitched in.

A quick scan revealed that while the person was injured there would be no risk in removing the debris. Nusien turned toward this new patient and Allyndra. "One... Two... Three... Lift." Together they lifted the beam. Nusien used his third arm to pull the person out. "These patients are stable and ready for transport back to the ship. We are going to have to carry one each to the escape hatch."

"You heard him people get moving." Amanda called out sternly to the uninjured members of the science team before moving through the door that had luckily stayed open, without power the turbo lifts wouldn't be working, casting her torch around she searched for a stairway access.

Serran's breathing quickened, but most people, especially those who didn't know him well, wouldn't have noticed. It wasn't obvious. He stood still for just a moment. Like the XO, he was searching for an exit as well.

"Over there," he said, pointing to the northwest corner of the room.

Seeing that Guy was turning to join the evacuation, Kivirn grabbed the scientist's arm and pulled him back. In the midst of the terror of death and monsters, Dr Kivirn was consumed by bloody-minded commitment. He was himself, perhaps, like a monster. "Not you, Guy. We aren't leaving without the research data." He pointed in the direction of the central console and, with an expression of total and grim determination, "The two of us until the end: if that is what it takes."

Guy's bright blue eyes appeared to dim both under the lack of lighting and the new existential orders he'd been given. He knew it might one day have come to this, as occasionally happened in the life of an expeditionary researcher. And so did Kivirn. And Downing, he liked to think. They were all here for a singular purpose, which was to obtain and secure the ground-breaking research they'd procured over many months of underwater survey and analysis. Leaving it all behind was too much to sacrifice and an injustice to the lives and efforts of all those around them.

A heavy lump swallowed in Guy's dry throat while he locked eyes with Kivirn, then nodded. "Until the end." He then pointed to the console. "Power's out to the optical data network but the backup cores are still in the main interface, over there," he pointed to a shielded wall in the command center with several running lights still visible. "Do you have Commander Downing's access codes?"

Kivirn gave his companion a slap on the back, an attempted mote of reassurance amidst the horror of the situation. "Guy, I had everyone's access codes from the first week I arrived." He grinned and nodded in the direction of the the interface column. "We have to get this."

The two of them scrambled across the room. The sounds of bending and buckling grew louder. There wouldn't be that much more time before coiled tentacles and crushing depths destroyed this structure. Once they reached the wall, Kivirn began to input the codes to give them access to that treasured data.

"That's it, the cores are unlocked!" excitedly exclaimed Guy when several blinking red lights turned green. Maybe they'd actually find a way out of here alive...and with all of their research. "Help me with the release mechanism." He gripped both of his hands on one of the two embedded cylindrical tubes' handles located on opposite sides of the compartment, then huffed as he strained to pull it out before rotating the connection and reinserting it. "Take the other one!"

Kivirn wasted neither words nor time to help his companion get the cores released. The mechanism was heavy in his hands. It didn't want to move, it had been built not to want to move but desperation and the ticking clock gave Kivirn the motive force to drag the cylinder into correct alignment. Once pressed back in the structure rang out with a large clack that made him flinch, but it wasn't the cracking of glass or the bending of steel, it wasn't death come to greet them: the doors to the data-bay opened and their treasures within were revealed.

Guy's eyes widened with renewed hope and were highlighted by the glow of the core's pulsing ambient lights. "There," he pointed to the upper rows of multi-colored isolinear optical chips neatly inserted into their housings following a brief scan of the components. "Let's take all of them." He started to pull each chip out and stuff them into his pockets as quickly as possible.

Allyndra helped a couple of personnel first one of which needed help due to a wrenched arm. As soon as they were away she took several deep breaths staring into the tube. "Why does everything need to be so confined," she muttered. She forced herself into the space and started down. The only other thought she could spare was how the medical officer was going to handle this.

A sound of tittering laughter crawled up the tube as Allyndra began her climb. A couple of levels below, amidst the fleeing scientists, Ullswater was laughing. She laughed because what else could she do? She laughed because none of this felt real, literally not a single morsel of the events they were experiencing felt like they were actually happening.

It was comical, things simply shouldn't happen like this. Everything in Sofie's world had been collapsing, the the walls were closing in and the swirling black mass inside her heart was going to consume her at any second. And now she found herself in an underwater base that was literally collapsing. The walls were literally closing in, buckling under the pressure of their attacker.

The one scientist whose face Ullswater could see as they clambered down the ladder was giving her a scowl. She tried to stop laughing. There was climbing to be done.

"WARNING," again blared the station's female computer voice. "Structural integrity failure. Hull breach. Level 5. Level 6. WARNING," it continued, "Primary systems failure. Secondary systems failure. Life support offline. Reactor containment failure in 94 seconds."

The interior of the station violently rocked and shuddered, this time producing a cacophony of metallic crushing and snapping which reverberated throughout the Jefferies tube and what remained of the facility. EPS conduits within the vertical maintenance tube suddenly exploded and showered its occupants with electrical discharge and debris. One of Enus Station's descending scientists caught a full blast to her torso which forcefully disengaged her grip on the ladder.

"AHHHHhhhhhhh....hhhhh....hh......" Her echoing cries faded as she rapidly fell in a free fall state to the bottom of the Jefferies tube then became silent following a loud and sickening thud.

Allyndra was not too far behind as the place shook. She made it to the tube and started down wishing it was wide enough for her to use her wings. "Another shake like that, I'll be joining her," she muttered to herself. As she got to the bottom she did a quick scan of the unfortunate person and shook her head. "Come on, everyone, this is not going to hold much longer." She could smell salt in the air and dampness indicated that this was a lock of some kind to allow submersibles in and out.

Serran landed behind her wincing slightly as he landed a bit awkwardly. "That is true, Commander, we are running out of time on multiple fronts. I estimate we have 47.35 seconds left before... Before it won't matter anymore."

"I'd say it's logical, we haul ass."

Far ahead of the majority of the group Amanda reached the small access hatch into one of the escape submersibles. "Get in and power it up." She told one of the scientists, she stood partially inside the hatchway keeping it open and preventing any of the scientists 'accidentally' taking off as soon as they were inside.

One Enus Station scientist quickly clamored inside then was followed by another, and then a third and a fourth. Both Kivirn and Guy were absent which meant the small count was almost the totality of the remaining facility's occupants...casualties accounted for.

"You get in and get someone to help you. This isn't going to be elegant, but I'm going to shove injured in and you catch them and shift them," Allyndra commanded. She waited listening to the countdown and started to pant. It was a panic response, but she reminded herself that this is what she needed to do while Nusien got into the machine.

Nusien stepped into the machine and assumed a position to receive the patients and best treat them. While keeping enough space for all to safely board. He made sure to have his medical tricorder in one hand. A moment later he was ready and gave a curt nod to Allyndra.

"First one coming down!" Allyndra shouted and lined the first one up and pushed. It was going to be ugly and inelegant, but time was not on their side.

The first patient in was the woman who had been pinned under debris. Nusien tried as best as he could given the circumstances to keep her steady. She had a number of fractured bones from the weight of the debris. The next two patients were somewhat easier as they were injured with head wounds and torso wounds. They were bleeding and needed their wounds dressed, but they could be manhandled a bit. At least that was what Nusien thought until the last one fell unconscious as he was boarded. Nusien administered some cortrizine to keep the patient stable.

Serran noticed the absence of the missing officers and for a moment considered going back and finding them. He didn't believe in leaving anyone behind. It may not have been the logical choice, but it was his choice.

Except when it wasn't. Orders were Orders. So, reluctantly he stepped inside the sub.

Last patient was down and Allyndra slipped and dropped as the countdown was less than a minute. She could hear running steps right behind her. Someone was cutting it way to close she decided as she dropped. Flexible bones helped absorb the impact and she scrambled out of the way to get to a wall. A full blown panic attack was almost on her as the enclosed place reminded her of her predicament. "Give me some open sky," she muttered.

A new echoing voice cut through the cacophony of structural integrity failure and the accompanying bending and breaking of the station's titanium and duranium composites. "We're coming!" yelled Guy who was tugging Kivirn down the ladder in a frantic haste.

"We're here!" Guy yelled again as the two civilian scientists scrambled down the short corridor and into the submersible's hatch. He tripped over his and his companion's feet then tried to crawl forward. "Help! We need to launch now!"

"WARNING," once again blared the station's female computer voice. "Structural integrity failure. Hull breach. Level 5. Level 6. Level 7. WARNING," the message continued, "Primary systems failure. Secondary systems failure. Life support offline. Reactor containment failure in 31 seconds. 30. 29...28...27..." The audible countdown began.

The computer's automated voice was irritating. Irritation was a distraction emotion, Vulcans shouldn't feel. But Serran did. Not only was it irritating, but it was also redundant. The countdown in his head was accurate. Both countdowns insisting on haste for survival.

"I've got this one," he said to his companions pointing toward Kivirn, who was the furthest away. "Nusien, Turell, you get Guy."

Still keeping the hatchway open Amanda saw Guy tumble and Serran's call to aid him. She dashed forward and quickly and violently hauled him to his feet. "Get up, I have no intentions on dying down here." She said partly guiding partly dragging him towards the submersible.

Nusien reached out two of his hands to help guide the injured aboard the submersible. While the third held a tricorder and began scanning.

As the last two got on board. There was a lurch as parts of the station collapsed and water rushed in. At this depth, the pressure crushed anything not built strongly.

Allyndra got up and moved toward where the conn was. "Go, before we can't. We can't wait for anyone else, and my guess is that there is no one else left."

The subs electric moorings cast off, and the ship floated away a few feet while the tunnel flooded the rest of the way and the door to the wide ocean jerked open. Jerk it did, as stresses in the structure threw the tracks slightly out of alignment.

Slowly, the sub moved and made for the doors that had jammed about 85% of the way. "This is going to be close," One of the sub navigators said.

Close it was as the sub scraped its bow planes, which caused it to move off. That was followed by the hull scraping along with a loud screeching sound. "Full ahead," Allyndra commanded. Right behind them, a sort of big push and boomph sound that resonated through the submersible announced the end of the station. The sub jerked as the rock collapsed, pushing the water away. Alarms went off.

"Can we get a signal out to let the Galileo know we are not located at the base?" Allyndra looked at the rest. "How are our patients doing?" Allyndra turned her attention then on the doctor.

Nusien took some quick scans of all the injured. "Everyone is in stable condition. However, I am not sure how long they will remain that way if we do not get to the Galileo soon."

"Do what you can. So far contacting let alone getting to the Galileo might be some time," Allyndra commented back. She turned to Ensign Turell and whispered, "I don't like the lateness of the last arrivals. They could have gotten here way before the injured and they were the last on board. Keep an eye on them."

Not wanting to respond verbally Amanda just nodded slightly, she had a good sight line of both Kivrin and Guy already but shifted around a little more. Hoping to keep her observations discreet.

Allyndra returned to where Lieutenant Nusien was. She sat next to him and whispered, "I need something for anxiety. I don't do well in enclosed spaces for long."

Nusien did not recall reading anything like this in the Commander's file when he took over Medical. However, he also knew this was not the time nor was it the place to discuss such things. He nodded and prepped a hypospray of Inaprovaline. He touched the hypo to her neck and whispered. "This will hold you for six hours. If things start to get the better of you let me know."

"Thank you." She paused and took a deep breath.

Underwater implosions continued to punctuate the remains of Enus Station. Shock waves rippled through the surrounding water with force severe enough to turn what was once a robust and intricate research facility into mere fragments of its scientific creation. The meticulously-collected research and analysis of the world's ecosystem - the core of it's purpose within the alien planet - now only remained within the minds of its former inhabitants...and inside small devices tightly guarded within their pockets.

One expedition had just concluded; the next was currently underway.

[OFF]

--

Lieutenant Junior Grade Nusien
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Serran
Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Sofie Ullswater
Chief Science Officer/Second Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

Kivirn
Acting Administrator
Enus Station
[PNPC Ullswater]

Guy
Scientist
Enus Station
[NPC Tarin]

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